The Portland daily press., 1887-06-14
Island Notes.

N0kOSs
The yacht Marion Gray, owned by Mr..
Henry Trefethen, lately purchased by him
Of Mr.. j. 81. Littlejohn, was launched from
Peaks Island yesterday and towed to House
Island.
Messrs. G. & H. Trefethen. at House ISL
and, are extensively engaged in fishing and
curing fish. They now have upwards of
1900 quintals of cod stored in bulk and put
up in drums by them last season for New
York parties, by new process called ..per-
seryiling." They also have 700 quintals of
the fakes in process Of curing. They handle
on the average 1900 quintals season. The
Bank fish are cod, those caught off shore
nearer home are mixture of cod, haddock,
bake, pollock and cusk.
Mr.. A. G. Sterling is engaged in the fish
business on House Island He has about
500 quintals on the fakes. Both parties en-
ploy from Is to 20 men at the present time.
The families of Messrs. Holbrook, Frazier,
Stirling and John McManners reside on the
Island, Mr.. McManners is in the employ of
the United States army,-being ordnance
sergeant at Fort Scammel.He has had charge
Of the reservation during the past eight
years. His service covers Fort Gorges The
family are pleasantly and comfortably quar-
tered in the old house, located on elevated
grounds overlooking the adjacent islands
and the city.
The ordnance storehouse is spacious
building, kept in good repair and filed with
the equipments of war. There are fourteen
15-inch mounted guns and four lo-inch guns
on the redopbt. On the parade grounds are
800 15-inch shells and 1900 1O-inch solid Shot,
The passageway leading to the east bastion
covers distance of rs feet under ground,
constructed OF granite In solid masonry
work. Everything connected with the
works receives the sergeant's personal atten-
During the vacation season there are large
numbers Of visitors at the Island and all
have desire to examine the government
works. Frequently some of the relic hunt
ers take undue liberties when the sergeant's
attention is diverted in another direction.
Chips are taken from the old walls. Names
and places Of residences are marked upon
the newly painted guns and on the smooth
surface OF the shot and she'll. Last season
some OF the mischiev0us young fellows from
the Hoosier State carried and set In motion
at the entrance of the east bastion one of
the 10 inch shot where it went booming over
the granite bottom. The deafening echo
frightened them and they made hasty re-
treat over the parapet and left the island.
Ii was a long tedious job for the sergeant
TO raise the ball and place it again in position
on the pile.
( The following is an abstract from Sergeant
McManner's report to the War Department,
on the description of Fort Scanned "This
work occupies very important position,
four Of the misunderstanding into it. The
original work on this site blouse Island).
built about 1S0S consisted of semi-circular
battery, with brick scarp, and block house
In the rear and a detached lunette northeast
OF it. About the year 1916 the work was con-
nected SO as to form one enclosed work
with brick scarp and earthen parapet.
In 1862, the execution of the new plans
was commenced. with some subsequent mod
ifcati0ns. In 1870, the work was carried on
till the close Of the season of 1875, when it
was suspended for want of funds. The
masonry, bastions and heavy earthen batter
les. Plans for its modification and for add-
tlonal earth batteries have been prepared by
the board of engineers for Notifications, and
approved by the Secretary of War. They
are only partially executed, and the work is
in an incomplete condition"
Steam yacht Adelita, So tons, of Boston,
Capt. A. G. Nash, anchored off Peaks last
evening. She has just returned from Bangor
on weeks salmon fishing excursion.
A gentleman lost his cane off the wharf
a distance out to sea before any person could
obtain boat to 60 for it.
Little Fannie Trott, aged IL years, hasten
ed to her fathers wharf and loosened her
fathers boat from the fastening, and rowed
cross-handed out into the bay and returned
with the cane to the owner. She was receiy-
ed with loud greetings.